Pneumatic thread holder



July 19,1949. R E 2,476,649

PNEUMATIC THREAD HOLDER Filed May 1, 1948 'INVENTOR RiGHARD e. TURNER GM /WW *ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 1949 PNEUMAI Q A were Mass., a. .crporation of Massachusetts j,

it cation ivray 1, 1948; Serial No; 24,633 l Claiins. (01. 139-247) 1 21 V 2 This is a continuation in part of my copending application: SerialaNoi aiditQBSgrfitdrFebruafi:4, 19,47 ,:and abandonedeMayieji194832 1 This invention relates to weft replenishing looms and it i's' the general object aofi'theeinvention to provide a isimplezpneumatic thread holder constructed to facilitate placement: therein. -of the -weft ends' extending'fronruieserve bobbins.

Inweft replenishinglloomseth'esreserve bobbin magazine ordinarily has extending therefromi'a large-numbered threads or weft ends awhieh must he held taut: fdr fproper Ripere;tiea1edf'='* the rloom. In loading themaigazine mith \reserve" bobbins it is desirable to be -ahle toeintroduce allfthe threads ofiasgroup intoith'e monthr'otthe holder at ame tiniez nee-me to ace'eniplisatliis result it 'isan important dba eot offmysplfesentinvention to provide: the thi 'eadi.compartn1ent ioitthe -holder withacdvei -or the lik wh ich cari bzitemporarily displaced "from its linormaliiposition to': permit th weftendste be mtlveddhto the' intake mouth, after'whichihef coyer: fieturns rte itsinbrmal position to close :the anreadeornpartment== i it is' anothei objetthf thezpresent ivention to provide a' threa'd ''6mpa1 tff1ci1t hav1ng opposite wanna each-6i? tvhich 'isilocate'd thread: notch the 'tbp bdh'nfiaifiv 'o'f wfiih fdr nie'd b'y 'tli aforesaid cove'r. L I'1le 3WEfiJ fiends! t tendl 'acrossf :the threadfifnnpartiiient uiidefithe eoverfand through etn of tne tnrean ficttriesi ane wheir the cover returns" to 'ts rioi'nia 'osition siibatn'i'ospheric pressures 'with' I th'threaids' tli eihto the Itisa fiifthei olfiet d th venti'on to provide a stop or tri 1ike to -lini-it-ihovifiiit or thebover and also serve as limiting means forth weft'ends to' prevent -the' latter fr'oni hioving heyond the notches when heingiritrb'duced into'the holder.

rt s dfe 'bi'ett e abl 'to p aee' weit'ends of potbin ires iy iri" aea iiithe iiiaga'zineinto the thread"hold'i' by a 'ihglebfifatiori which can be performed-tranche haaaenewa thisthought in mind it is a further object of the invention to proyide the" with a liftii gpart' finderwhich the freslfi weftends canhe' passedand then raised to lift the covere fl lie l a f Qf steamer which is raised by the wef t endsshould gee so located that threads-inliiting relation' with it will not: be interfered with loyrany part' of :thethread collector. With-these and-other oloiects in view-which will appear: asthedescrigtioh proceeds-imy invention resides in the combination and-.-'. rra-ngement of parts hereina-fterdescribed and set'forthi i In the 1 accompanying Edrawings, wherein two convenient embodiments-0f my invention are set forth, :1'" :11: refit) rat." L" z:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of part of a weft replenishing loom having the preferred form of.the present invention:applied-thereto,xi a Fig. 2 'isan enlarged p1an.-.view of the thread holder looking in the direction otarrowzzt Figwl, Fig. 3 is a"verticalrseetionionrline 3-3, Fig.2, showing the threadholder; and part-1of .the thread collector depending therefrom, r::' t. r

Figs. 4 ands-are side elevations of the thread holder looking in'the direction efearrowdl and-5. respectively,*Figra ze er e-i Fig. 6 is adiagrammatic elevation similar to Fig. 2 showing the relationship.between-theMarious groups of-freshaweftrends. andmhe 00v. preparatory to lifting .thedatiier a a? i w Fig. '7 is a view similar .to, Fig. 2 but shows a modified formofthednvention;and: 3.

- Fig. 8 is a side elevatiomof rthestructure shown in Fig. 7 lookinginithe direction of arrow -8, Fig. 7. Referring particularlyrtofFigt-l, theloom frame it) supports an air pump-J l ,having-ia-,-pistong :12 operated-bye rod-I3 connected-to the upperen'd of an actuator lever hiu'Ifhe latter ispivotedasat It to some convenientlpart of the loomi and is operated by red ids-connected to the -.-lay-. The lay is reciprocatedriniusualxinannertbwthe top or crank shaft l1 and the -.usual .eonnectors one of which is shown at it. A hose ortubell 9 extends forwardly from the .pump, H ,and ..communicates pneumatically with theaintrionof aethread. collector C through the .bottomthereo'f...

The loom frame supportsamagazine M preferably of the-multicolor .type and haying stored therein a complement of} reservetbobbins Bifrom which. weft ends W extend laterally from the magazine in a direction away, from the loom to the holderH forming the subiect matter of this invention' w Except for the holder H to be described hereinafter the matter muster-described has heretofore been pro osed byme and operatesfinknown manner. During. backward inovementof. the lay the piston 12 creates subatmospheriepressures-within the hose I9 and threadcollectonC tortthefpurpose of drawingthe'weftends-Wetaut.- Wheneverthere is a Weft replenishing operation of therloomone or another of the bobbins-.Bmflhdrop iromtits stack to a commonetransferelpositionat the bottom of themagazineeand Wll1-l3h8fli be inserted into the shuttle S by-theztransferrer. arm 20. -The shuttle Sis thenpicked to. the oppesite side of the loom with thefresh :bobbinthereinland theeweft end leading from the shuttle will, Joe heldv -by-the 3 holder H to effect at least partial threading of the shuttle. On a subsequent beat of the loom this thread will be cut at the salvage by means not shown herein but well understood and then be pneumatically drawn into the holder H and collector C.

In carrying the present invention into effect the holder H is provided with a base 30 which fits the upper part of the cylindrical collector C and has extending therethrough a thread opening or port 3! leading to the interior of the thread collector. Extending upwardly from the base is a substantially rectangular structure 32 having front and back walls 33 and 34 and side walls 35 and 36. The wall 35 is provided with a recess or thread notch 40 extending along part of the top thereof and of substantial width as will be apparent from Fig. 2, while wall 36 has a second thread notch 4 I of less width in the top thereof. The tops of the walls 33-46, except for the notches, lie substantially in a plane which may be inclined downwardly and away from the-magazine.

In order to close the top of the rectangular structure 32 I provide a thin preferably transparent fiat cover 45 which may be attached as by a hinge 46 to the rear wall 34. The hinge permits the cover to lie fiat against the tops of the walls and also permits the cover to be raised. The front edge of the cover projects forwardly from the front wall 33, as at 41, to facilitate raising of the cover. The aforesaid walls 33-35. the plate 30, and the cover 45 inclose a thread compartment 55 which communicates with the interior of the thread collector C by means of the port 3 I, but is otherwise closed to the atmosphere except for notches 40 and 4|.

A wire guard 52 extends over the rear part of cover 45 as indicated in Fig. 2 and has vertical arms 53 and 54 secured to the base 30 close to the rear ends of the recesses 4| and 50, respectively, to serve as limits to determinethe rearmost position which the weft ends W can occupy. The guard prevents the cover 45 from swinging upwardly too far to permit return thereof by gravity. The cover and recess 40 form an intake mouth 60 for holder H, while recess 4! and the cover form a thread orifice 6|. g

In operation, the cover 45 will normally be in the down closed position indicated in Figs. 3 and and in full lines in Fig. 4. The weft ends will extend through the intake mouth 60 and downwardly throughthe port 3! into the interior of the collector C. Because of subatmospheric pressures existing within the thread collector the weft ends W will be held taut. As successive replenishing operations occur the weft ends will be cut one after another at the selvage and be drawn through the mouth 60 and port 3| into the collector C.

When it is necessary to add new bobbins to the magazine several inches of their weft ends will be drawn off and they will then be placed in the magazine, after which the weft ends will be passed under the overhang 41 of cover 45 and then raised to lift the latter, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4. The weft ends are then moved rearwardly under the cover and into recesses 40 and H. The cover thereupon returns to normal position and the threads extend through compartment 5i] and beyond the orifice 4|. The partial vacuum within thread compartment 59 draws the outer ends of the threads inwardly through orifice 4i into the thread compartment and then down through the port 3! into collector C. Those '4 parts of the weft ends attached to the bobbins pass through mouth 60 and are drawn one by one through the mouth into compartment 55 as replenishing operations occur.

Inasmuch as the upper part of the thread compartment is closed except at the intake mouth and orifice there is no opportunity for the thread ends hanging from the orifice to enter under the cover, since the latter is held tightly against the upper parts of the walls inclosing the thread compartment 5!! whenever there is sufiicient reduced pressure within the compartment to draw threads thereinto.

Another feature of the invention relates to the manner in which the cover can be raised by means of upward movement of weft ends leading from bobbins freshly inserted into the magazine. In the preferred form of the invention indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 6 the cover 45 is provided with lifting extension formed with a hook 66 extending forwardly or to the left as viewed in Fig. 6 from the cover 45 and defining a notch 61.

The holder H is held to the thread container C by means of rods 68 and 69 tapped at their upper ends into base 30. The hook 66 should be so located that neither the rod 68 nor the cylinder C can prevent entry of the fresh weft ends into notch 61.

As shown in Fig. 6, the four groups of weft ends may be considered as originating from the points I-IV corresponding to the four stacks of bobbins shown in the magazine in Fig. l. Weft ends leading from position I, corresponding to the bobbins of the front stack, will be passed under the extension and beyond the rod 68 as indicated by line a and be in position to enter the notch 61 due to the fact that the threads are inclined downwardly from the bobbins in the magazine toward cover 45. The threads following line a can then be lifted to raise the cover and moved rearwardly, as already described. Should the threads be accidentally moved forwardly the hook will prevent them from slipping out from under the cover. Weft ends from the other positions II, III and IV will follow generally the direction of lines I), c and cl all of which, as will be apparent from Fig. 6, will clear the rod 68.

The extension 65 permits the weaver to hold the bobbins being inserted in the magazine with the left hand for instance and with the right hand move their weft ends first under the hook 65, then upwardly to raise the cover, and then rearwardly to locate the weft ends in the thread compartment.

The modified form of cover 10 shown in Figs. 7 and 8 performs the same general function as does the cover 45, and has an extension ll the forward end of which is bent down to form a hook 12. The relation between this hook and the cylinder C is substantially as described in connection with Fig. 6.

The intake mouth in the preferred form of the invention is formed by an upwardly opening recess in the wall 35, see Fig. 3, but in the modified form of the invention wall 35 is replaced by a wall '53 which is straight across its top and not provided with a recess, see Figs. 7 and 8. The cover 7!] is formed with a recess or notch 14 which as viewed in Fig. 7 extends outwardly beyond the wall 13 with respect to the magazine to define an intake mouth 15 for reception of the weft ends W. The cover 7!! is provided with a downwardly extending guide or stop 16 formed at the front of recess 74 to engage the weft ends and closedposition,

When Weft n s a e. lates; u 1. :-1 we? preparatory, to, move ent into the; thread com; partment in eith x' the; preterred form of' the invention they a re l 1 downwardly from the magazine towa and:then; pwardlmaway fronrth c ov the. rightas viewed; fpi instance facilitate. reanward In extendingthreads beyond t I eovers arepnovidectwith incl e ten-d from. the. hooks rearw with reference; to the mag z asshown-in Fig.5 hasang GOVBI; H! has a .SHBHE ZQQE From thefprego ingit be seen that} have provided a simple. form of; p V holder. havin a thread compartment the l pper part of? which LQ19 d a. se w u 9he. h11.v e lifted-r temporarily to permit m emen-t ofihreads thereunder into the recessesj lfi, 415511 After. J

being lifted to admit; threads; the.- covepform the. upper parts of-mogthfiq and orifice fi l. While the cover. been shown as; hiupwardemovement, 1 dq not wish to be th in. the practice. .ot my l lfintion T V stops 013 a ms- 53; and limit backward ment oftheswefitends tgpr ent th U comin nched between a er; of: the. s dewa s. and. 315; but 2 Y e l ited. to. Par icula sheet; set ar herein. It will also be. no that the cqyei s are pr edwi ll itt i k. 1. 2 5 K i t? the weft nds. of: pbhlt s 2 1 1 13 magazin be, W556i E Q WP EY' 9 qRW movem nt t9 r 915? h 20 fififi) e q i h o fi on the svers te pe f edi a? far en u h rwe fd 9 whet-ver s. 92. t" e. hol er nd QQl Q rQlT Q h t e ads, W 1 EP? in er ere with. the ihfieds a h y" are t t. o ld e ane e tha tlxeheeks 6- an ne be ete m n all .v be e n atthe Part 5 or: 3; o 9?: a o wall members an th net .5- see. l"?! here wh h QQ EQ WQ WEE- A the Q Q m in orma pos n to fer-m thr ad in and r fice M. and th E l sie. 11 1 1 7 e may he cons eered as. in ts tenn et ne' he atmoshhere w h the read somew e ent H Having thus d s ribed m n ention it w ll b Seen. hat han s and odific t ons. met therein by th s sk led in the. a th ut 3 in from the it nd co e o he. ievt I do not wish to be limited to the det disclosed b t h t; claim s:

1 n a pneuma ie' thread ha ter er t e Weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow we. fo m d 1 a l surmlmdie e h ea h partment in which subatrnospheric pressnres exist, one .of said walls having a recess therein Communicating it t e atmo phere v9. par-tment, a cover extending across said thread compartment and recess and forming y iatter an intake mouth for said weft, 'e1 means mounting the cover for mogemen from said recess to ena le said Wef en pass between certain of saidwalls and caves into said recess. 7

In a pneumatic h ad holder fer the eft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, means defining a base, while upstanding from said, base manner as tobe' in'ovabl'e away'rrp ,L t s I v; J Ton (Sheet A away fr n aniitheii of sums-a1 cooperating tans minding mm: he w t en s said awa irionisaidot weft 5'. Iii" e tending," Lip v lzar merefrbmsurmun sg a'thread wmpart in whioh'suhatnf nhricl'pressures can" he I I ante nieans hai ing d therein on oppositeesidesthereef recesses iea tin g with the" atiimsinhfere and comand a. c i/erv normally field against said 4 extending miss said recesses, e1 bein CQnstr'uted andfm tedfin such alidresesses id recesses. iorjthe, weft M mastrustnre n j a base and walled. me ns extending IEQWQICdl Y thereitern s'urrioundin'a thread com- H r 1 hr'ici'pres'snres can be or ted, s id walled'means having in the top thereof on one. side thereof as i pwaxdly opening recess com rnunicatiri fwith the atmosphere and the cglnpart erit and ha he a si'r'nilar'reefess' on th theneot ophosite'saidoh side, a cover new is e d. a r ss ai fl 'r Compartment 9 en atmospheric pressures within the. latter ng over the first name's lie'cess to forrn a ntalge mouth and fiver the second named. necess t9 define, a threadorificefand means mount ng said W m it away from said recesses to permit entry of gam a ends int sa d me ses ens est-0 5 h h a w ner ment 1. in a mlfllllnfltic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve in a lo'om, a hollow structi surroundi a th d e fi i rment in which an atm nher t r sw a h eaten i said cov be ea e t s d eiseeds e en er- 15 fitt iis we: sai'si' trus ttie 's ttie wi the latter to inclose said compartment, said cover and the upper parts of said structure having cooperating parts defining spaced air inlets communicating with the atmosphere and the compartment, and means mounting the cover for movement away from said hollow structure to permit entry of said weft ends into said inlets.

3. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure having substantially vertical walls inclosing a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, spaced upwardly opening recesses in the tops of certain of said walls communicating with the atmosphere and compartment, a cover closely fittin the top of said hollow structure extending over said recesses, and means mounting said cover for movement relatively to the hollow structure in a direction to expose said recesses for insertion therein of said weft ends.

9. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, means comprising a base and front and back and side walls extending upwardly therefrom surrounding a thread compartment in which subatrnospheric pressures can be created, and a cover pivoted on the back wall and extending across the other walls and held in normal position against said other walls due to the subatmospheric pressures within the compartment, each of the side walls having upwardly opening recess therein under the cover communicating with the atmosphere and compartment, said cover when moved upwardly exposing said recesses for entry thereinto of said weft ends.

10. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure formed of walls surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, one of said walls having a recess therein communicating with the atmosphere and compartment, a cover extending across said hollow structure and recess and forming with the latter an intake mouth for said weft ends and having a part projecting beyond one of said walls, and means mounting the cover for movement away from said recess by a force exerted against said part of the cover by the weft ends to enable the latter to pass between said one wall and cover into said recess.

11. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, means comprising a base and front and back and side walls extending upwardly therefrom surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, a cover pivoted on the back wall and extending across the other walls and held in normal position against the latter due to the subatmospheric pressures within the compartment, said covered one of said side walls having cooperating parts defining a thread intake mouth for the weft ends, and a thread stop adjacent to the rear end of said intake mouth, said cover being movable upwardly away from said one side wall to aiford entry into the intake mouth by said weft ends and said stop preventing movement of said weft ends beyond the rear end of said mouth.

12. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, means comprising a base and front and back and side walls extending upwardly therefrom surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, a cover pivoted on the back wall and extending over the front and side walls, said cover and side walls having cooperating parts defining an air inlet for each side wall through which the compartment communicates with the atmosphere, and a thread stop located near the rear end of each inlet, said cover being movable upwardly to afford entry of said weft ends into said inlets and said stops preventing said weft ends from moving beyond the rear ends of said inlets.

13. In a thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, said holder comprising a walled structure surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, the upper part of said walled structure having therein an upwardly opening recess communicating with the atmosphere and compartment, and a cover extending across said walled structure and over the recess and forming with the latter an intake mouth for the weft ends, said cover havin a part projecting beyond said walled structure for engagement with the weft ends to enable the latter by a force exerted thereby to move the cover away from the recess to afford entry into the latter of said Weft ends.

14. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure formed of walls surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures exist, one of said walls having a recess therein communicating with the atmosphere and compartment, and a cover extending across said walled structure and recess and forming with the latter an intake mouth for said weft ends, said cover being constructed and mounted in such manner as to be movable away from said recess to enable said weft ends to enter said recess.

15. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends extending from reserve bobbins in a weft replenishing loom, a hollow structure including a wall member and formed with a hollow thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures can be created, a cover member mounted on the structure for movement relatively to the wall member and when in normal position closing the top of said structure, and cooperating parts on said wall and cover members forming a weft end intake mouth connecting the thread compartment to the atmosphere, said cover member being movable away from said wall member to enable said weft ends to enter the intake mouth.

16. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure forming a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures may be created, a cover extending across said compartment, said structure and cover having cooperating parts which define an intake mouth for the weft ends communicating with the compartment and atmosphere, and means mounting said cover for movement away from said compartment to enable the weft ends to enter said intake mouth.

17. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures may be created, a cover for the structure normally in position to close the compartment but movable upwardly from said compartment to open the latter, said structure and cover having parts cooperating to define an intake mouth for the weft ends when the cover is in normal position, and an extension on the cover projecting beyond said structure against which the weft ends may be raised to lift the cover to permit entry of the weft ends into said intake mouth.

18. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure formed of walls surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures may be created, a cover normally in position to close the upper part of the compartment, one of said walls and said cover when in normal position defining an intake mouth for the weft ends and connecting the interior of said compartment with the atmosphere, means mounting said cover on said structure enabling the cover to be lifted relatively to said walls to permit entry of the weft ends into said intake mouth, and an extension on said cover projecting beyond said walls against which the weft ends may be raised to lift the cover.

19. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures may be created, a cover for the structure normally in position to close the compartment but movable upwardly from said compartment to open the latter, said structure and cover having parts cooperating to define an intake mouth for the weft ends when the cover is ,t

in normal position, an extension on said cover projecting beyond said structure against which the weft ends may be raised to lift the cover and open the compartment for entry of the weft ends into said intake mouth, and a hook on said extension limiting movement of weft ends engaged therewith in a direction away from said structure.

20. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in a loom, a hollow structure surrounding a thread compartment in which subatmospheric pressures may be created, a cover for the structure normally in position to close the compartment but movable upwardly from said compartment to open the latter, an extension on said cover projecting beyond said structure against which the weft ends may be raised to lift the cover and open the compartment for entry of the Weft ends thereinto.

21. In a pneumatic thread holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins in the magazine of a weft replenishing loom, a hollow structure surrounding a thread compartment in which sub- No references cited. 

